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ITF’s General Secretary, Stephen Cotton, speaking at the ILO’s centenary conference in Geneva, highlighted that ‘now is the time to assert authority as the global standard-bearer for labour rights.’ ILO agreed a centenary declaration designed to give all workers a floor of rights and protections in an ever-changing world of work.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) welcomes ILO’s Convention and Recommendation to tackle violence and harassment in workplace. ITF supported that the lives of ITF union members, and in particular women transport workers, will be improved as a direct result.

According to ILO, mandatory pregnancy testing is now considered as a discriminatory practice. The Norwegian Seafarers Union played an important role to this achievement at the ILO to stop sexist discrimination.

The Centenary International Labour Conference has adopted a new Convention and Recommendation to combat violence and harassment in the workplace. The Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019, and Violence and Harassment Recommendation, 2019 , were adopted by delegates on the final day of the Centenary International Labour Conference, in Geneva.

The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) recognised the negative effect that bullying and harassment can have on seafarer health and wellbeing, and have voted to bring these serious issues under Regulation 4.3, which is the health and safety protection and accident protection code. Under the Mental Health Awareness week, the UK P&I Club highlights ways to eliminate shipboard bullying and harassment.

Australian authorities detained the Liberian-registered bulk carrier ‘Anna-Elisabeth’ after crew onboard the vessel complained of insufficient food, bullying aboard the vessel and denial of shore leave. ITF received the complaints from onboard the ship berthed at the Port Kembla Coal Terminal on 25 March.

Sophia Bullard, Crew Health Programme Director at UK P&I Club, provides her comments on how to address bullying and harassment on board ships. Ms. Bullard says that companies and management should be receptive to change and adopt a zero tolerance approach to deal with bullying and harassment at sea. In fact, during the last ten years, there is an increase on the focus regarding harassment in maritime.

Unwanted sexual contact in 2017-2018 increased for cadets and midshipmen compared to rates last measured in 2016, according to figures released by the US DoD. Among all female cadets and midshipmen, 15.8% experienced unwanted sexual contact in the past year in the 2018 survey, an increase from 12.2%.

A new research project at Kalmar maritime academy aims to map out methods and strategies to reduce the risk of negative special treatment within the shipping industry. Working at sea, often for many months, means that a person who is subjected to harassment may face difficulties to withdraw and little opportunity to receive support.

Amended on three occasions since its entry into force in 2013 in order to keep up with the needs of the shipping sector, the MLC Convention has now been ratified by 90 member States representing more than 91% of the world merchant shipping fleet. The MLC, 2006 consolidates almost all previous maritime instruments adopted throughout the century.